Page:The Christian's Last End (Volume 2).djvu/304
ON THE WELL-GROUNDED HOPES OF SALVATION OF THE PIOUS.
SIXTY-FIRST SERMON.
ON THE CONSOLATION THE PIOUS HAVE BECAUSE THEY ARE ON THE RIGHT WAY TO HEAVEN.
Subject.
The pious Christian alone can rejoice in the present life: 1. Because he is on the right way to attain his end; 2. Because he has a star shining before, which assures him that he is on the right way.—Preached on the feast of the Epiphany.
Text.
Videntes autem stellam gavisi sunt gaudio magno valde.—Matt. ii. 10.
“And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
Introduction.
But do not rejoice too quickly! You are not yet where you wish to be! You must not sing the song of triumph before having gained the victory. You are indeed in search of a great Hood, but you have not found it yet; you may now hope and desire, but you should not rejoice till you have found and actually hold what you seek. You have already once failed, and the same may happen to you again. Why then such great joy? “They rejoiced;” and that too with a great joy, nay, with an exceeding great joy. So might one have addressed the three wise kings when they left Herod in the city of Jerusalem, and went on farther in their search after Jesus, the Saviour of the world, whom they did not find there. And they might have answered: